Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced that tickets are now on public sale for Soulpepper on 42nd ST, a month of programming with a full company of 65 artists at The Pershing Square Signature Center Off -Broadway in New York this July. For full details on Soulpepper on 42nd ST including ticket prices and travel offers, visit Soulpepper.org or call 416.866.8666 or 1.888.898.1188. In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the NYC Festival programming begins on July 1 and runs to July 29, 2017.
Among the company’s celebrated productions comprising the SOULPEPPER ON 42ND ST: CANADA CROSSES THE BORDER festival are:
-Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi featuring Ins Choi, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Rosie Simon, and Jean Yoon.
-Of Human Bondage by Vern Thiessen based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham, featuring Oliver Dennis, Raquel Duffy, Soulpepper Founding Member Stuart Hughes, John Jarvis, Richard Lam, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Jeff Lillico, Michelle Monteith, Gregory Prest, Paolo Santalucia, Brendan Wall, and Sarah Wilson.
-Spoon River based on the Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters adapted by Mike Ross and Albert Schultz and Composed by Mike Ross, featuring Alana Bridgewater, Oliver Dennis, Raquel Duffy, Hailey Gillis, Soulpepper Founding Members Stuart Hughes and Diego Matamoros, John Jarvis, Richard Lam, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Jeff Lillico, Michelle Monteith, Miranda Mulholland, Gregory Prest, Jackie Richardson, Mike Ross, Paolo Santalucia, Brendan Wall, Daniel Williston, and Sarah Wilson.
-Cage created and performed by Soulpepper Founding Member Diego Matamoros, Lorenzo Savoini, and Richard Feren.
-Alligator Pie created and performed by Ins Choi, Raquel Duffy, Ken MacKenzie, Gregory Prest, and Mike Ross, with poems by Dennis Lee.
-Plus under Spotlight programming: CRASH written and performed by Pamela Mala Sinha; and A Brimful of Asha created and performed by Ravi Jain and Asha Jain, a Why Not Theatre production presented by Soulpepper in collaboration with Richard Jordan Productions.
Three Soulpepper Concerts will also be staged in New York: True North: a Concert of Canada; The Secret Chord: a Leonard Cohen Experience; and New York - The Melting Pot.
As it does in the Young Centre in Toronto, Soulpepper programming will run in rep on all stages of The Signature Center during its NYC Festival, and will be offering an expanded series of Spotlight ancillary programming to showcase Toronto artists (additional details to be announced). As well, it will engage the New York community in workshops, symposia, master-classes and outreach events throughout the month.
A preview of selected songs from Soulpepper on 42nd St. programming will be on stage in New York on April 27 at Feinstein’s/54 Below in a Cabaret featuring Albert Schultz, Mike Ross, Jackie Richardson, Alana Bridgewater, Raquel Duffy, Hailey Gillis, Richard Lam, Gregory Prest, and Daniel Williston. Visit 54below.com for more details.
Summer programming will continue in Toronto in celebration of Canada 150, with four Canadian works on stage: Confederation Part 1: Confederation & Riel and Confederation Part 2: Scandal & Rebellion from VideoCabaret; Vimy by Vern Thiessen directed by Soulpepper Founding Member Diana Leblanc; and Billy Bishop Goes to War created and performed by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson. For more details visit soulpepper.ca or call the Young Centre Box Office at 416.866.8666.
ON STAGE NOW & UPCOMING IN TORONTO:
Spoon River
Adapted by Mike Ross & Albert Schultz
Composed by Mike Ross
Based on the Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
In Soulpepper’s award-winning adaptation of Spoon River, Edgar Lee Masters’ poems of the dead are brought to vibrant life. The residents of a sleepy mid-west graveyard return to share their funny, gritty, and touching memories to curious passersby. It’s a moving piece of original music theatre that is ultimately an uplifting celebration of life. The cast includes Alana Bridgewater, Oliver Dennis, Raquel Duffy, Hailey Gillis, Soulpepper Founding Members Stuart Hughes and Diego Matamoros, John Jarvis, Richard Lam, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Jeff Lillico, Michelle Monteith, Miranda Mulholland, Gregory Prest, Jackie Richardson, Mike Ross, Paolo Santalucia, Brendan Wall, Daniel Williston, and Sarah Wilson.
A Soulpepper Signature Production
NEW SHOWS ADDED: Spoon River runs to April 21, 2017.
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf
Ntozake Shange
Directed by Djanet Sears
In this striking set of choreographed poetic monologues focused on the struggles of seven black women, Ntozake Shange weaves a story of empowerment, repression, abuse, and love inspired in part by her own coming-of-age experiences.
Celebrated for its vivid and powerful text and revered for its ultimate message of courage, for colored girls is a timeless and unforgettable exploration of femaleness. The cast: Akosua Amo-Adem; Tamara Brown; d’bi young anitafrika; Karen Glave; Evangelia Kambites; SATE; and Ordena Stephens-Thompson.
for colored girls... runs from May 5 to May 31, 2017. Opening night is May 11.
SOULPEPPER SOLO SERIES:
Soulpepper Presents
Crawlspace
Created and Performed by Karen Hines
A perfect little coach house turns into a real life nightmare in Karen Hines’ comic, Kafkaesque tale about the darker side of home ownership. Inspired by true events, Crawlspace moves past “cautionary” as it snakes through the brutal battleground of Toronto real estate, decorative twig orbs and the transcendence of the human soul.
NEW SHOWS ADDED: Crawlspace runs to April 15, 2017.
CRASH
Written and Performed by Pamela Mala Sinha
Directed by Alan Dilworth
After the loss of a loved one, a woman must face the shattering memories of a past trauma. CRASH is the fractured unraveling of memory; blending projections, myth, and dance into a riveting narrative about family, faith and love.
CRASH runs for five performances from April 26 to 29, 2017.
SOULPEPPER PRESENTS:
Wildfire
RARE Theatre Company
Created and Directed by Judith Thompson
Wildfire, a new play by Judith Thompson with the RARE ensemble, explores the boundaries of love for people with visible differences, and the ways in which they struggle with societal judgement. When a millennial male with Down syndrome falls for someone who does not have Down syndrome, questions are raised about exploitation, ethics, and the nature of love. Performed by the cast of 2013’s ground-breaking RARE, Wildfire is a blend of confession, heartbreak, and joy.
World Premiere
Wildfire runs from May 2 to 20, 2017. Opening night is May 3.
I’m Doing This for You
Created and Performed by Haley McGee
Directed by Mitchell Cushman
A woman travels halfway around the world to give the man she loves the thing she thinks he wants the most. He’s an aspiring stand-up comedian and today is his birthday. The audience is her gift to him and it’s a surprise! Blending storytelling, live-art and improvisation, Haley McGee delivers a spellbinding performance in I’m Doing This for You. Filled with surprising turns from the hilarious to the humiliating, this award-winning show delves deep into just how far a person will go to not be alone.
Minimum Age is 19: ID Required.
I’m Doing This for You runs for five performances from May 3 to 6, 2017. Opening night is May 4.
SOULPEPPER CONCERTS
Each original Soulpepper Concert revolves around a time, place, or artist crafted by a team of incomparable performers. The Concert Series is led by Slaight Family Director of Music Mike Ross.
True Patriot Love
This new Soulpepper concert will use beloved Canadian songs as the spine of an examination into the sounds of a nation.
April 11 & 13 and 7:30 p.m., April 15 at 1:30 p.m.
(re)Birth: E. E. Cummings in Song
An original Soulpepper collective creation based on the legendary American poet, essayist, painter, and playwright E. E. Cummings, this compelling and humorous musical exploration of Cummings’ extensive canon is an ode to the depth and imagination of his work. May 17 to 20, 2017.
Porgy & Bess in Concert
The Gershwins blended folk tunes with classical opera to create what has become one of the most enduring works of the 20th century. The stories behind this legendary work, and iconic song writing, are brought to life by a company of Toronto’s leading jazz, blues and gospel singers. May 27, 30 and June 1, 2, 3.
Located in its multi-venue home, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, Soulpepper is Toronto’s largest not-for-profit theatre company. Founded and guided by artists, under the leadership of Artistic Director Albert Schultz and Executive Director Leslie Lester, Soulpepper has an integrated mission which includes: industry-leading youth outreach initiatives; the Soulpepper Academy, Canada’s only multi-year paid professional training program for theatre artists of all disciplines; and a year-round diverse repertory season which is grounded in the classics and committed to the creation of new works, new forms, and innovative practices. Tickets to Soulpepper productions are available by calling the Young Centre Box Office at 416.866.8666 or 1-888-898-1188 or by visiting soulpepper.ca. Soulpepper’s New York programming can also be directly accessed via soulpepper.org.
The Pershing Square Signature Center, the permanent home of Signature Theatre, is a three-theatre facility on West 42ndStreet designed by Frank Gehry Architects to host Signature’s three distinct playwrights’ residencies and foster a cultural community. The Center is a major contribution to New York City’s cultural landscape and provides a venue for cultural organizations that supports and encourages collaboration among artists throughout the space. In addition to its three intimate theatres, the Center features a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, a bookstore, and the Signature Café + Bar, open to the public from noon-midnight Tuesdays – Sundays. For more information on renting the Center, please visit www.signaturetheatre.org/rentals.
In Toronto: Tickets for Soulpepper 2016.2017 productions range from $32 to $96 CDN. Tickets for Soulpepper Concerts & Cabarets start at $25; $20 tickets for Soulpepper productions are available for arts workers. Ticket deals for under-30 year-olds are available at soulpepper.ca/stageplay. StagePlay is sponsored by TD Bank Group. $25 Rush tickets and $5 Youth Rush tickets are also available, subject to availability. Ticket prices include a Young Centre facility fee, service charge and HST. Tickets for Soulpepper on 42nd St range from $25 to $80 USD. Pricing is subject to change.
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TWITTER: @SOULPEPPER
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Photo: The Persching Square Signature Center. ©2012.
2017-04-11
Toronto: Soulpepper's New York Festival is on sale